Town hall leader Clr Kath Pinnock will be paid the sum in new rises proposed by an independent panel.

She is set for an increase of 12.2%, taking her annual allowance to £30,300.

The panel said payments for the council's leader had been set too low in the past, considering the duties of the job.

Increases of around 3% are being urged for the 71 other councillors in the first rises for four years.

Councillors are due to vote on the plan on September 17.

The new pay package will cost taxpayers just short of £900,000 a year.

Andrew Taylor, a former politics professor at Huddersfield University, chaired the panel. He said being leader of Kirklees was a full-time job.

Dr Taylor added: "Apart from some minor adjustments in 2001 the allowances have been unchanged since 1999.

"The panel has looked in great detail at the range of allowances and assessed any changes in roles and responsibilities of specific posts."

All councillors will get a £300 rise in their basic allowance, bringing the amount to £11,100.

Councillors who hold special positions will get more money. Those who chair scrutiny panels will receive an additional allowance of £2,775 and those who chair other committees will get an extra £1,850.

The council's deputy leader will get £24,975 and Cabinet members £22,474.

Councillors meet their phone, local travel and subsistence costs from the cash.

Dr Taylor said: "The panel felt modest increase in the basic allowance was appropriate, with the subsequent pro rata increases in most of the responsibility allowances.

"This is the first increase in the basic allowance since 1999 and is several times below the inflation rate in that period."

The panel is also recommending that councillors should be able to claim £5 an hour to cover childcare.

And it says councillors should be able to join the local government pension scheme on a contributory basis.